Folder for sewing machines



Nov. 24, 1925- C. HAM

FOLDER FOR SEWING MACHINES Fi d April '29, 19 5 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 CHARL E5 f'ZZ/W. awe (mu;

Nov; 24, 1925.

C. HAM

FOLDER FOR SEWING MACHINES 2 m 1 m M w a 4 h 4 m m as e E L 2 R M C 9 l 2 1 i r P A d e 1 1 F Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HAM, OI? ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGHGR T0 FULI) AND HATCH KNITTING COMPANY, A CORPORATIOZI 01 NEW' YORK.

FOLDER FOR SEW'ING IvitACHIITES.

Application filed April 29, 1925. Serial No. 26,576.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES HAM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Albany, county of Albany, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folders for Sewing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in the class of sewing machine attachments commonly called folders and the particular object of the invention is to provide folder by means of which collarettes may be'successively formed of different widths.

Other objects will appear from the subjoined specification and claims.

The invention consists in a construction by means of which the same folder may be used successively to fold and guide to the needles and feeding mechanism of a sewing machine of any type strips of textile material of different widths. This is accomplished by means of a simple adjustment of a guiding finger on the folder. Collarettes of different widths may thus be readily formed and sewed aroundthe selected edges of the fabric from which the garment is made.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the folding device embodying my invention, the sewing machine being indicated in dotted lines and the strip of material to be operated upon being also shown in perspective.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the invention with the adjusting element attached thereto, and the material to be operated upon, shown therein.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on li11e3-3 of Fig. 2. c

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line l4: of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the adjusting device or element.

In the drawing A represents a conventiona1 sewing machine, B a roll-of fabric to be folded which is mounted upon a fixed pin 6 secured at any convenient point on the platform or table upon which the sewing machine rests. C is the folded fabric forming the collarette and D the material of the garment to which the folded fabric is sewed along the line of stitching S.

The complete folding attachment designated generally by the reference letter F is secured by set screws or solder or by any convenient means to a plate P, which is commonly present in sewing machines and which is removable for access to the parts beneath, all as well understood, the plate being provided with atenon 0 at one end and a stud (Z at the other end, the stud being loosely mounted in a socket e in which there is placed a spring 9 normally forcing the stud to its outward position, all for the purpose of readily placing and removing the plate into and out of position.

The body of the folder F is made preferably of sheet metal and consists of an arm 10 by means of which it is secured in position, as above described, to the plate P, or to any other convenient fixture. Attached to the arm 10 are inside and outside portions 11 and 12, each of which are substantially U or V shaped, the inside portion meeting the outside portion at the top by means of the folds 13 and 14.

The end of the folder at which the ma terial to be operated upon enters is expanded or horn shaped at 15 and it is provided just inside thereof with a U-shaped band 16 which is connected at 17 and 18 to the top edge of the entrance end.

The inside U or V shaped portion 11 provided at its front and rear ends respectively with transverse partitions 19 and 20 and at its upper or outer side there is provided a bridge 21 having a screwthreaded hole 22 extending therethrough for engagement with the screwthreaded shank of a clamping bolt 24 the operating knob of which is exposed and projects outwardly for ready manipulation of the operator. The lower or inner corner of the inside portion 11 of the folder as at 30 is situated just within (Fig. 3). In order to lessen this distance so that the collarette may be folded a width less than the 'maximum, which width is measured by the variable distance XY (Fig. 2), a single piece or element 40 is provided which consists of arms or projections 4:1, 42 and 43. The arm 41 is provided with an elongated slot 4a through which the thumb screw clamp 24 passes in order to secure it to the bridge piece 21 in its ads justed position as clearly shown, and the tongues 42 and 43 of the adjustable element 40 define the position of the folded edge of the collarette and thus limit the width of the fold. The operation, therefore, may thus be briefly described to be readily understood. Vhen a collerette is to be folded to the greatest width possible with the use of the adjustable element 40, and to be attached to the garment as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1., the element 40 is adjusted to a position as near the entrance end of the folder as possible. The strip of material to be folded is unwound from the roll B and is passed through the expanded end of the folder inside the strap 16 and is then by manipulation of the thumb of the operator folded upon itself to pass under the needle mechanism of the sewing machine to engage the feeding mechanism.

The edges of the folded material are then brought together and the material D of the garment being placed between the edges the collarette is rapidly and quickly sewed to the garment being fed along by the feeding mechanism of the sewing machine. WVhen a collarette of minimum width is desired, the limiting element 40 is moved to the left (Fig. 3) to its extreme position, thereby permitting the material to be folded to a minimum width in order to form a narrow collarette.

Any intermediate width of collarette between minimum and maximum width may be obtained by securing the limiting ele ment 40 into any intermediate position be tween the two extremes XY and XY above specified.

It is obvious that in making collarettes of different widths it is necessary to use rolls of fabric also of different widths. To illustrate, should it be desired to make a three inch collarette the width of material on the roll should be approximately six inches, whereas if a two inch collarette is to be made the width of material on the roll should be approximately four inches.

As changes of construction could be made within the scope of my invention, it is intended that all the matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. A device of the type described which comprises an inner guiding channel formed of substantially U-shaped inner and outer walls joined at their side edges and having their outlet end edges at an angle to their length, a bridge member lying wholly within the space formed by said U-shaped inner wall, said bridge member having one edge flush with said joined side edges and having its sides extending a substantial distance into said space and rigidly secured to said inner wall to reinforce and strengthen the same, a plate on said flush edge having a longitudinal slot therein, a clamping nut having a shank projecting through said slot and threaded into said bridge, said clampingnuthaving a head projecting outwardly from said bridge and lying wholly outside of said wall-enclosed space, permitting rapid and convenient adjustment of said plate, and a U-shaped guide arm rigidly secured to one end of said plate.

2. A device of the type described which comprises an inner guiding channel formed of substantially U-shaped inner and outer walls joined at their side edges and having their outlet end edges at an angle to their length, a bridge member lying wholly within the space formed by said U-shaped inner wall,said bridge member having one edge flush with said joined side edges and having its sides extending a substantial distance into said space and rigidly secured to said inner wall to reinforce and strengthen the same, a plate on said flush edge having a longitudinal slot therein, a clamping nut having a shank projecting through said slot and threaded into said bridge, said clamping nut having a head projecting outward y from said bridge and lying wholly outside of said wall-enclosed space, permitting rapid and convenient adjustment of said plate, and a Ushaped guide arm rigidly secured to one end of said plate at an acuteangle thereto and lying wholly within the space formed by said U-shaped outer wall.

CHARLES HAM. 

